Man & Nature Emulation
For this task I will be emulating the artist Andrew Studer, this will consist of a sketch/plan and three showcase images which should be similar to the artist's work whom I have chosen.
Due to having the ability to extensively travel during the next six months, I have decided to use this artist in my emulation work and as Andrew's work is visually striking, I was drawn to his stunning images of Man placed within the most epic of landscapes. Isolation is depicted perfectly in his images and the viewer is left wanting to visit these remote places to experience these magical moments with nature for themselves.
During my travels, I will aspire to capture similar epic imagery on camera in an interesting way. I will try to capture scale and depth of field whilst keeping detail and hopefully having contrast within my photos to create drama or emotion.
Artist's Photographs
Andrew Studer, 20, has travelled the world far and wide to capture sole humans in nature's vast and engulfing landscapes. Here, a surprise visit from the Northern Lights over the Enchantments in Washington, provides a spectacular background for his photograph. This image once again shows the scale and gigantic proportions of the landscape, but this time, focuses more on the dramatic colours of the Northern lights. I hope that I will be lucky enough to witness this natural light phenomena on my trip to Iceland in the coming months and get a chance to experiment photographing it. I believe, from research that photographing the Northern Lights is difficult so I will enjoy learning more about my camera settings and hopefully achieving an image to be proud of.
For this task I will be emulating the artist Andrew Studer, this will consist of a sketch/plan and three showcase images which should be similar to the artist's work whom I have chosen.
Due to having the ability to extensively travel during the next six months, I have decided to use this artist in my emulation work and as Andrew's work is visually striking, I was drawn to his stunning images of Man placed within the most epic of landscapes. Isolation is depicted perfectly in his images and the viewer is left wanting to visit these remote places to experience these magical moments with nature for themselves.
During my travels, I will aspire to capture similar epic imagery on camera in an interesting way. I will try to capture scale and depth of field whilst keeping detail and hopefully having contrast within my photos to create drama or emotion.
Artist's Photographs
This image depicts Man marveling at the view of Skógafoss Waterfall in Southern Iceland. As Andrew's theme is named 'Lone Humans', all of his images feature a singular person, quite often shown as a silhouette. In this image, the artist is clearly trying to show the sheer scale of the waterfall, however, by using a slower shutter speed, the power of the water is also able to be felt. The isolated man in the image is positioned carefully and precariously close to this wall of water and this provides a very dramatic effect. I hope to achieve a similar effect and will experiment with shutter speeds and running water too.
This final image portrays two people enjoy a misty walk in Oregon, Mr Studer's hometown, where many of his breathtaking photographs are taken. This is the only image within the collection which features two people and they are positioned in the very centre of the image. I think that the purpose of placing the focus as a central point in this photograph is to enhance the use of reflection as the reflections used in this image balance the shot perfectly. I will experiment with the positioning of the human element of my photographs to see the different effects it has when viewing the images.
Emulation sketch
For the sketch part of my emulation plan I have decided to focus on trying to show all the components of the actual photograph, rather than trying to concentrate on a large amount of detail. I believe that this helps to make the sketch a better match to the artist's image and what they wish to achieve and portray. I have included as many elements of the background landscape as possible as I believe that it is all these components fusing together which creates the final image and helps display the artists intention. I have also used some shading as I believe that light and shadow play a large part in achieving the quality of isolation. In the same way, the two people in the sketch are shown as silhouettes.
After studying Studer’s work, I was especially excited to be visiting Iceland this year, as I had been advised that the light and the changing weather conditions here could create fantastic landscape shots and as it is rugged and remote, should perfectly fit within my theme of isolation. I was not disappointed and found throughout my visit that I was provided with great material to work with, from epic skies filled with dramatic cloud shapes and sunbeams, thundering waterfalls, to vast barren lava fields and an unforgettable viewing of the Northern Lights.
I thoroughly enjoyed experimenting with my camera and the diverse landscape gave me great material to work with.
My Own Work
The first of the three of my emulation photographs was actually taken at Skógafoss waterfall in the south of Iceland where Andrew's image was shot. It is a well known tourist destination, so was quite a challenge to photograph a singular person in front of the waterfall face as there were many people all battling to get to the bottom of the falls.
With this photograph I have also tried to portray the sheer scale of the natural feature by positioning myself lower to the ground, as well as concentrating on my main theme within my emulation of isolation. The man, like in Andrew's image, is looking up, giving the impression of awe for the natural wonder. I think that this image works well and the man looks alone in his thoughts. Although the image is almost monochrome, even without any editing, the green of the hill frames the image well and enhances the spray given off by the waterfall.
My second emulation photograph was taken on the black beach of Vik, again in Southern Iceland. I have used shadowing in this photograph to create a better illusion of a silhouette of the man carrying his camera equipment. I also, again, positioned the camera strategically so I could capture the sun appearing from behind the rock face, (but only the slightest amount so as not to give too much glare). In this image I have experimented and used Photoshop to edit the foreground, keeping it as dark as possible. By using an editing programme, I was able to keep the definition within the sky so the viewer can depict the dramatic cloud formations, however, I could lose any distracting detail in the foreground so the eye is drawn to the man and the skyline. The suns glare enhances the image and draws the viewers eye to the human element of the photograph which I like.
My third and final emulation photograph was taken in the same place as the second shot, Reynishverfi beach, Vick, Southern Iceland. With this image, I experimented by capturing the photographer in the far left hand corner of the image, copying the style of Andrew Studer. Even though the human presence is harder to see, I thought that this effect may enable the beach to become the focus point of the photograph. The man is wearing a red jacket and within this very monochrome shot, helps him still stand out. I experimented with further beach images and found the contrast between the black sand and a singular colour very dramatic. I used clothing and even the green of grass to lift the black and white images.
This image still portrays isolation but mainly focuses of the landscape surrounding. To take this photograph I ensured to lower myself as near to the ground as possible, so I was able to create a wider expanse of beach and a larger feel to the boulders scattered on the sand. Due to the haze in the sky you are able to see the cliffs in the backdrop but only faintly, this helps to add depth and also elongate the image.
My Final Emulation photographs above were taken in Iceland as an experiment using the Northern Lights as a background. Like Andrew Studer I tried to incorporate a silhouette of a human being into my photographs. The first image is unedited to demonstrate the differences between an unedited shot and Studer's highly edited photograph. My second image has been edited using Photoshop to try and enhance the trail in the sky further and create more contrast in the colours captured. I found photographing the Northern Lights very difficult as any degree of movement resulted in a very blurred image, I found mounting the camera on a tripod and using a remote to release the shutter was the most effective, however, as the sky and the light levels continually changed, the settings of the camera also required adjustment. My contact sheet shows further images taken without placing anyone in the foreground which were more successful. These images could work as background for a double exposure which I may experiment with during my course and select as material for my final piece.
Contact Sheets
